


veil of smoke

by flowersbloomingg (thisisberkk)



Series: imaginings for ff7r [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Budding Love, Canon Compliant, Cosmo Canyon (Compilation of FFVII), F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Pining, Post-Final Fantasy VII Remake, cid is cloud's wingman, i just really wanted to write some cid and cloud interaction bc i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26340544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisberkk/pseuds/flowersbloomingg
Summary: Late at night, Cloud can't sleep. He and Cid have a conversation about the journey ahead of them.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: imaginings for ff7r [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827421
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	veil of smoke

**Author's Note:**

> I totally meant to post this fic a lot sooner, but time just got away from me heheheh lol
> 
> I wrote this MONTHS ago because I was craving some more Cid and Cloud interaction during my ten billionth FF7OG playthrough. 
> 
> In other news, I'm writing 2 different multi-shots right now; one has two chapters done, and the other has half of one chapter done lol I'm not sure which I'm going to post first, but...we'll see! I like to have a few chapters written before I actually start posting it, that way I don't just leave ya'll hanging, even if it's just the beginning of the fic. 
> 
> Anyway...enjoy some sweet cid and cloud interaction :)

The smell of smoke became a permanent staple with the crew ever since Rocket Town.

Especially at night. Even tucked away in their hotel rooms, the scent wafted through the open windows and the gaps between the floorboards and the doors.

It wasn’t the worst thing in the world. If they didn’t like it before, well...they got used to it very quickly.

They honestly _had_ to. It was with them constantly.

However, even so, Aerith was often tempted to sit Cid Highwind down and talk to him about how bad smoking was for his health, but she never did. The only times Cid was calm was when he was smoking or drinking Shera’s tea (which Shera provided instructions for the group on how to prepare it; admittedly, it was never as good as hers, but it still did the trick), so they were willing to put up with it. Anything to keep the man calm, of course.

Cid would smoke a few cigarettes at dawn, many more on the road, and a few at night before heading to bed. It was ritual, and everyone expected it.

And typically, no one bothered him during his morning and night smokes.

But one night, Cloud couldn’t find himself able to sleep.

They were in Cosmo Canyon, on their way to the Temple of the Ancients. The group was visiting a variety of places around Gaia, trying to find any information on where it was and how to get in. Tomorrow, they were headed to the Gold Saucer. Hopefully more information would await them there.

Cloud had been experiencing a fair amount of anxiety recently. More than usual; even though he presented himself as calm and collected, he had a fair amount of panic in his mind. Of course, he always tried to keep it hidden. He was an ex-SOLDIER, after all; not afraid of anything, and able to stand up against whatever life threw at him.

He wished he could say he wasn’t afraid of what awaited them.

Recently, he found it incredibly difficult to fall asleep at night, with his brain constantly racing with thoughts of what was going to happen next on their journey. What would happen when they arrived at the Temple of the Ancients?

His heart raced and his mind was jumbled as he thought about it. It was unknown what was ahead of them in this quest. It was all completely unknown.

Find out where the Temple of the Ancients is, go there, and then what? Would Sephiroth still be there? What was Sephiroth looking for there? Knowledge of the Promised Land, just like Shinra? Was he a Cetra?

But Aerith said _she_ was the last one…so did Elmyra and Professor Hojo, so that didn’t make sense…

Was it something to do about the “seven seconds ‘til the end” bullshit? What would they do if Sephiroth did something before they got there? What was…

It was all so frustrating, and it was becoming much harder for Cloud to think straight and keep his thoughts in order. Which was why it was becoming much more difficult to go to sleep, even in the best inns they could stay in, thanks to the gil stash the group had acquired while out on the road. The warmest blankets, the plushiest mattresses, and the softest pillows would not allow Cloud to go to sleep when his mind was racing this much. 

He stepped out onto the balcony of the hotel, the warm atmosphere of Cosmo Canyon and the slight breeze bringing a sense of comfort. He was about to take a deep breath of fresh air when the familiar smell of smoke made its presence known to him. Cloud turned his head and saw none other than Cid Highwind leaning against the railing of the balcony, a cigarette between his lips, like there always seemed to be.

Cloud stepped forward, his footsteps letting Cid know he was there, as to not scare him.

He heard the older man let out a long sigh. “Leader can’t sleep?” he asked, not even turning to look at Cloud. He just took another long drag of his cigarette.

Cloud crossed his arms and he stepped closer to Cid. “SOLDIER thing,” he explained, not necessarily answering the question.

Cid blew out a stream of smoke. “Even then, ya seem tired,” he replied. “Should get some sleep.”

“I should be saying the same to you.”

Cid chuckled, his thumb playing with the object in his hand. “Been livin’ on three hours of sleep since the space mission failed.” He blinked. “And that damn Barret snores.”

“That’ll keep anyone up,” Cloud agreed, and he doesn’t dwell on the subject of Cid’s gripe with Shinra. It was a sensitive subject, Cloud knew. Best not to speak about it or bring it up when Cid was around.

“Yeah,” Cid hummed. “You seem to be thinkin’ a lot.”

Cloud shrugged. “There’s a lot to be thinking about.”

Cid nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes. He held it out in Cloud’s direction.

“Uh...I don’t-”

“Yer tellin’ me in all yer 21 years ya ain’t never smoked?” Cid asked, surprised.

“I tried. Once. When I was in training.” He felt a headache begin to creep up, but he tried to keep his focus on the conversation to stop it from taking over. He felt the throbbing in his forehead, and he bit his bottom lip. His headaches had been getting worse, but Cloud was becoming a lot better at controlling them. He just had to avert his attention to something else. Take his mind away from his thoughts. Aerith had been helping him with them; that woman was their best healer, after all.

Cid let out a low whistle. “Thinkin’ is why I smoke so much. It’s a nice thinkin’ activity. Smokin’ itself? Not much thinkin’ involved. Which means ya can focus on other shit.”

“So you have a lot you’re thinking about?” Cloud asked. “That why you smoke so much?”

“Yer a smart one, SOLDIER Boy.” He gestured to the box with his head. “C’mon. One won’t hurt ya.” He shrugged. “I know yer girl hates ‘em.”

Cloud blinked. Then, he reached over and grabbed a cigarette from the box. “Aerith and I aren’t...” he trailed off.

Cid put the box away, reached into another pocket, and grabbed a lighter. “Seems like ya are,” he said as he handed it to Cloud. “Ya know how to do this part, right?”

“I’m not an idiot,” Cloud answered, sticking the cigarette in his mouth, holding it between his index and middle fingers. He flicked the lighter, a flame appearing. He brought the small fire to the tip of the cigarette, sucking on it. After, he took the lighter away, the cigarette now lit. He handed it back to Cid, who took it and placed it back in his pocket.

Cloud then inhaled a bit of the smoke from the cigarette, held it in his mouth for a few seconds to cool it down, removed the cigarette from his lips, and blew out the smoke. He scrunched his nose as the flavor filled his mouth. “God, how do you do this so much?” He shook his head at the pungent taste. He could handle the smell, but the flavor was a whole other story. He let out a small cough.

“Ya get kinda numb to it after a while,” Cid said. “Then it becomes a habit. Which eventually turns into an addiction.” He took a drag of his cigarette again. After a few seconds, he let out a stream of smoke. “And...it’s not for everybody.”

“Not for me,” Cloud said, though he, too, took a second drag of it. To be courteous, of course. Though the flavor was not as jarring as the first time.

Cid laughed at the sight. “Clearly,” he replied. He cleared his throat. “Anyway...you and Aerith really aren’t a thing?”

Cloud exhaled the smoke. “You and Shera aren’t a thing. Supposedly.”

“Pah,” Cid spat, though he smiled. “You’re really good at dodging questions.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Cid snickered and shook his head. “Ah. Well, you’d make a nice couple. She’s good fer ya. Ya actually smile when yer with her. It’s cute.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway. ‘nough ‘bout that. What were ya thinkin’ ‘bout when ya came out here? Gotta do the smoke-n-think ritual with me now.”

Cloud sighed, and he rolled one of his shoulders, the tension in his muscles aching from the day’s events. They had been traveling all day, going from place-to-place in search of information on the Temple of the Ancients. Battles around every corner, no time for breaks, and no time to process everything.

“Just...a lot,” he answered vaguely.

“Ah, come on, now! Can’t be all mysterious ‘n broody now! Ya gotta think wi’ me! I gave you one of my cigs and everythin’!”

Cloud snorted. “Being mysterious and broody is my specialty.” Cid laughed for a few seconds, before the two went silent, staring out at the mostly empty town square below them. Cloud sighed. “Just...thinking about everything that’s going to happen.” He brought the cigarette to his mouth again, inhaling the smoke.

“Temple of the Ancients?”

Cloud nodded his head, exhaling out the smoke. “That, and...just about everything else. How...it’s all...unknown.”

Cid hummed. “It’s scary stuff, ain’t it?” he questioned. He shook his head. “Man oh man. And I was _late_ to join everythin’. Ya’ll have been at this for a lil while.” He looked over at Cloud. “Chasin’ after Sephiroth? Scary shit, based on what ya’ll have told me.”

“I’m just worried.”

“That he’s gonna hurt you?”

“Or...that he’s gonna make me hurt someone else. Or…do something I don’t want to…I dunno.” Cloud shook his head, and without thinking about it, brought the cigarette between his lips again, inhaling. He didn’t feel good about what was ahead for them.

“This is some weird fever dream shit,” Cid said.

Cloud exhaled. “It’s our reality.” He sighed. “As terrifying as it is.”

Cid hummed. “Eh. We can handle it. It’s, what, nine against one?”

“You’ve _heard_ of Sephiroth, haven’t you?”

Cid laughed. “Of course I have! I don’t live under a rock, dammit!” He rubbed the underside of his chin with his hand. “By my math – and I got an A in math when I was in school – nine against one means we’re gonna win.”

Cloud huffed. “If only you really knew what we were up against.” He shook his head and looked out to the village of Cosmo Canyon. Most everyone was asleep now, and the bonfires in the town square had died out. Except for the Cosmo Candle, which remained lit, just as it had been for so many years. “It’s not that simple.”

“We can handle it. I don’t have any doubts.”

“ _Any_?” Cloud questioned _,_ not believing him.

Cid shrugged his shoulders. “Nah,” he replied. “The good guys always win in the end. May have losses in between, but they’ll always win.”

“‘Losses’ being the rocket?” Cloud asked.

“That, and...whatever lies ahead for us. Like you said.”

Cloud sighed. He brought the cigarette to his lips again, inhaling the smoke. He held it in his mouth for a few seconds, waiting for it to cool, and then blew it out.

“Always chase yer dreams,” Cid said after a few moments of silence.

“Huh?” Cloud asked.

“Ya heard me, boy! Chase yer dreams!” Cid exclaimed, slamming a fist on the railing. “Never give up. Yer young. You’ve got a lot to live for. Don’t let anythin’ stop ya.” He shook his head. “Don’t be like me.”

“You’ll get to space one day, Cid,” Cloud told him.

Cid snickered. “Yeah. As long as Shinra’s around...”

“What, is there a double standard for chasing dreams now?”

“‘ey, givin’ Shinra a piece of my mind is why I’m with you guys, right?” He shook his head. “I’ll get there one day.” He looked over at Cloud and elbowed his arm. “Just like you’ll get yer dreams fulfilled.”

“Defeating Sephiroth?”

Cid shrugged. “I mean, that wasn’t the dream I was thinkin’ of fer ya.” He took the cigarette from his mouth, and he smashed the tip on the railing, finished with it. He then put it into the ashtray that was on one of the tables behind them. He patted Cloud’s back. “We’ll have to do this again, boy.”

Cloud smiled. “We’ll do it my way next.”

“Over a cold one?”

“Or two.”

Cid chuckled. “You speak my language. Get some sleep, SOLDIER Boy.”

“You too, Rocket Man.”

Cid smiled at him before he turned away, his hands going to his pockets as he sauntered off the balcony and back into the inn. Cloud stated back at the sky, watching as the stars twinkled and moved in the sky. He let out a sigh and took a drag of the cigarette.

Chase his dreams, huh? The one that didn’t involve Sephiroth?

He looked down at the table, and next to the ashtray was a vase of yellow lilies. Cloud smiled slightly to himself, making a reminder to show them to Aerith tomorrow morning before they left for Bone Village.

Maybe...

Cloud exhaled. He shook his head, now getting what Cid was referring to. He smiled.

Not now. Once all this was over and they all went home, then...then maybe.

He smashed the tip of the cigarette against the railing in a similar fashion to Cid before he placed them in the ashtray. He felt the flowers shouldn’t be next to them, so he took the vase and moved it so it sat on the railing, leaned against the support pole so it wouldn’t fall. And, so it could be in the view of everyone who walked past the hotel.

He stood there, listening closely. Nothing, as usual. But...they reminded him of her.

So, he grinned to himself before he, too, made his way into the hotel once again. Calmer than before, and definitely ready for a good night’s rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you enjoyed!!!! :)
> 
> Stay safe out there!! :)


End file.
